Professor Emerita Paulina Stark was a member of the UMass voice
faculty from 1985 to 2005, and has also taught voice at the New
England Conservatory and the Vocal Institute at the University of
California/ Santa Barbara. Particularly noted for Spanish, French,
and 20th century American repertoire, the soprano has conducted
masterclasses at the San Francisco Conservatory, the Longy School in
Cambridge and at universities across the country. Professor Stark
has adjudicated the Metropolitan Opera Council Regional
Auditions, NATS Artist Award and numerous other competitions.
Ms Stark has had an international career as a soprano in opera,
oratorio, and recital. She has been guest soloist with the Hallé
Orchestra in England (under the direction of Sir John Barbirolli),
the Jerusalem Symphony (Sergiu Comissiona), Houston (Lawrence
Foster), Dallas (Eduardo Mata), Fort Worth, Austin, Springfield MA,
Syracuse, and many other orchestras. She has performed leading roles
with the Houston Grand Opera, L'Opéra Nationale de Monte-Carlo and
elsewhere and has performed in recital at such venues as the Phillips
Collection in Washington DC, the 92nd Street Y in New York, and the
Aspen Music Festival.
Paulina Stark's recordings include: Unmined Cole Porter (Centaur);
Ravel songs with orchestra (Opus/Centaur); A Lullaby Journey
(Gasparo); American Jewish Artsongs (Centaur); I Have Taken an Oath
to Remember (Transcontinental); Clairieres dans le ciel by Lili
Boulanger and Songs of Spanish Masters (Spectrum). She has also
recorded vocal compositions by prominent UMass composers Robert
Stern, Charles Bestor and Frederick Tillis. Ms. Stark has been
featured soloist on CBS-TV and radio, NET, NPR, BBC, and Kol Israel.
Born in Colombia, South America, Ms Stark holds a BA in Romance
Languages (magna cum laude, phi beta kappa) and an MA in French
Literature from Rice University. She did extensive post-graduate
studies at the University of Texas-Austin Butler School of Music and
the University of Houston Moores School of Music.